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Spider Spins Ant-Repellent Silk

Posted by timothy on from the who-gave-antdude-the-day-off? dept.

bazzalunatic writes "The common golden orb web spider wards off ants from attacking it on its web by spinning an ant repellent (pyrrolidine alkaloid) into its silk. It could be used to develop a new insect repellent for humans. 'This study is among the first to show animals incorporating a chemical defence as a response to the threat of predation,' says Professor Mark Elgar of the University of Melbourne."

2 of 42 comments (clear)

  1. Females by JohnConnor · · Score: 5, Funny

    Old news... Cobwebs at my place have been repelling all kinds of females for a long time, not just my aunts.

    1. Re:Females by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Interestingly enough, I have observed that the opposite is also the case. The presence of females appears to be repelling cobwebs !